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Tag: Basic Math

Quite often, when you mention the word “math”, you’ll get response like “ugh”, “I hate math”, “I’ve never been good at math” and many other negative responses!

It doesn’t have to be that way for most people though. In fact, learning math can be a fun process! (You know Mathnasium’s motto is “we make learning math fun” right?) You may be skeptical about that, so here’s an article where someone else believes that learning math can be a fun process!

Learning Basic Math Facts Can Be Fun … Really

I know what you are thinking, there’s no way learning basic math facts can be fun. It’s a matter of memorization mostly, but still, it doesn’t have to be boring for you or your child. Utilizing some memory games and incorporating props can be very helpful for children who are initially learning math. Try some of these ideas yourself and you might just be surprised.

Flash cards are a tried and true technique, but how can you make them more fun? Stickers are a great way to show progress. If your child can provide the answer to a given flash card within three seconds, they get to put a sticker on the card. It’s surprising how motivating this is for a child who is struggling with their basic math facts.

Playing games online is another fun way to sharpen one’s skills. There are thousands of sites dedicated to math and many of them are free. Simply find a few that your child likes and rotate through them so your child doesn’t get bored or the site doesn’t become too easy. Some even have timed sections to help your child get faster at answering questions.

Another great option is to play a math memory game. Write the questions and answers on separate index cards and turn them over. You and your child will flip over different cards until you find the match. Your child will enjoy the game and the attention you are giving them and they will learn in the process.

Modifying games is simple and affordable for all parents. All it requires is a little time on your part. Create a shoe box full of homemade math games that your child can pick from on a daily basis. Spend at least 15 minutes a day practicing through these fun techniques and your child will be more confident in math in addition to being able to pass those timed tests.

Jocelyn Lewiston is a teacher and writer on various educational topics including learning basic math facts and fun ways to practice spelling words. She is dedicated to making education fun and interesting for all children.

So as you can see, there are others who believe that it can be a fun process to learn math, you just have to think outside the “normal” boundaries.

If you’re like I was, you probably don’t associate learning math with fun! But … it really can become fun for your child if you use a little imagination! So to get you started on helping your child learn math while having fun, here’s a great article I found from the article directory.

Learning Basic Math Facts Can Be Fun Really

I know what you are thinking, there’s no way learning basic math facts can be fun. It’s a matter of memorization mostly, but still, it doesn’t have to be boring for you or your child. Utilizing some memory games and incorporating props can be very helpful for children who are initially learning math. Try some of these ideas yourself and you might just be surprised.

Flash cards are a tried and true technique, but how can you make them more fun? Stickers are a great way to show progress. If your child can provide the answer to a given flash card within three seconds, they get to put a sticker on the card. It’s surprising how motivating this is for a child who is struggling with their basic math facts.

Playing games online is another fun way to sharpen one’s skills. There are thousands of sites dedicated to math and many of them are free. Simply find a few that your child likes and rotate through them so your child doesn’t get bored or the site doesn’t become too easy. Some even have timed sections to help your child get faster at answering questions.

Another great option is to play a math memory game. Write the questions and answers on separate index cards and turn them over. You and your child will flip over different cards until you find the match. Your child will enjoy the game and the attention you are giving them and they will learn in the process.

Modifying games is simple and affordable for all parents. All it requires is a little time on your part. Create a shoe box full of homemade math games that your child can pick from on a daily basis. Spend at least 15 minutes a day practicing through these fun techniques and your child will be more confident in math in addition to being able to pass those timed tests.

Jocelyn Lewiston is a teacher and writer on various educational topics including learning basic math facts and fun ways to practice spelling words. She is dedicated to making education fun and interesting for all children.

So there you have it! A little different approach and some fun thrown in to help your child learn math a little easier.

More Mathematics fun for us! Please check out this article by Kyle Taylor:

Kids’ Mathematics – How To Make It Fun 30 Minutes A Day

In this article, we are going to give you tips on how to make math fun for your kids. You can take the information and use it to increase your child’s math skills 30 minutes a day. Although most of the games are 30 minutes, you may find yourself doing it for an hour. Kids love to have fun and we’re going to give them what they are looking for.

Rapid Kids’ Mathematics

Kids interested in mathematics will love Rapid Math because it requires competition, speed, and accuracy. This game helps students become masters of basic math fundamentals such as multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. Kids of all ages can participate in Rapid Math.

A minimum of four players are needed (one answering questions/one providing flashcards). Each player has one partner which will use math equations on their flash cards to answer math problems. There should be 100 flashcards per team.

The whole deck must be completed before the game ends. For instance, the child must understand and answer an equation no matter how many times it appears in the deck. Every time he or she gives an incorrect answer, the flashcard is placed back in the deck for the remainder of the game.

Why is Rapid Math a great way to teach your kids mathematics?

Parents can use Rapid Math as a game to encourage their child’s to seek knowledge. For instance, adding small prizes such as extra television time, recess, or a fun day at the park would make a child want to learn more to earn the prizes. The psychological and emotional impact of a job well-done keeps kids coming back to earn more.

Rapid Math can be an essential tool to ensure your child remains sharp in all areas of math. Parents can adjust the levels of difficulty from basic math to algebra; start your child’s academic future in the right direction by participating in Rapid Math to make learning fun. Other games are available for Grades K-6, but Rapid Math is the most effective in developing kids’ aptitudes for higher learning skills.

The holidays can be lots of fun for children. Not just because they get candy and gifts, but because they also get off from school!

But just because they’re off from school, doesn’t mean that you can’t still help them learn math!

Teresa Evans wrote a nice article for ezinearticles.com which helps you take advantage of Easter and teach your children math while still making it fun.

Easter Math Is Fun Math

Easter is an exciting time for kids. But the good thing is that you can use that excitement to help kids develop their math skills. Turning regular math into Easter math makes math much, much more exciting. You can use Easter math games or Easter Brain Teasers and the kids will beg you for more.

Below are some simple ways that you use Easter math in the classroom or at home.

Bunny HopHere is a simple Easter math game that you can use to practice any basic math skill. You start by selecting a start line and a finish line. Next two children compete to jump from the start to the finish by taking two bunny hops every time they answer a question correctly. You can use any questions that help kids to practice the skill that you want. For example you could ask ‘6 times 8’, ‘half of 34’ or ‘What is the number before 87’? The first child to answer correctly takes two jumps and the first one to reach the finish line is the winner.

Easter CountingYou may know the old favorite counting game Buzz. But did you know that you can easily turn this into an Easter math game by replacing the word ‘Buzz’ with an Easter word. Try using ‘Bunny’ or ‘Easter Egg’ instead. The kids sit in a circle and count around a circle but replace the number 7, each multiple of 7 and every number containing a 7 digit with the word ‘Bunny’. If a child says the number instead of saying ‘Bunny’ they are out.

This is a tricky game that requires concentration and a good knowledge of multiples. You can also try playing it with other digits instead of 7. For example, you could use 5 or 10 for an easier version or use 8 or 9 to make a more challenging version.

Easter Brain TeasersBrain teasers are a great way to get kids thinking math. Many number problems can also be made a lot more interesting by using Easter as a theme for the problem. Here are a few that you can start with.

The Easter Bunny has 15 Easter Eggs in a Basket. He gives our 3 then collects 7 more then gives 6 children 2 eggs each. How many eggs in the basket now?You can easily change the numbers in this one and then have a completely new problem to present.

Tom has been dyeing eggs. He used green and red dye. If he has dyed 17 eggs and he has 5 more red eggs than green eggs. How many eggs does he have of each color?

How many eggs did I find in the Egg Hunt? I found between 10 and 30. The number is divisible by 4 but not by 7 or 8. I found an even number of eggs.

There are many different ways to use Easter math get kids adding, multiplying, comparing and using other math skills. You’ll find that kids will definitely agree that Easter makes math loads more fun.

I’d like to share an article I recently read which is very relevant for helping your child to learn math.

It was written by Thomas Brand and published in Ezine articles.

5 Reasons to Use Math Games For Kids

Math games for kids are certainly a hit. Parents like the concept since it helps their children engage in the subject and develop math skills at a young age. Teachers also utilize mathematics games for kids to get introduce new topics or practice skill sets.

Here are the top 5 reasons why you should use math games for kids:

Mathematics games introduce the subject and different types of math to kids in a fun and interactive way, which makes it less intimidating.

Math games encourage critical thinking, analytics, and problem-solving, as well as the mathematical basics of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.

Math games show the significance of math and reveal to kids that they are using math in ways they never thought of. This can build confidence in their mathematical skills and makes all the difference for a struggling student.

Math games can require working as a group. This teaches kids about teamwork, cooperation and supporting each other toward a common goal.

Mathematics games can engage students in a way basic math lessons do not. They can provide relevance for the subject, and breakdown concepts into tangible examples. Games also can require strategy, which makes the players more active participants, than when they simply are doing worksheets.

Math games for kids don’t have to be expensive. In fact, for the amount of time kids can spend on them – compared to a private math tutor, they are typically a bargain. However, they should be creative and stimulate children, which tends to be harder with the free variety. Whether its dominos, Sudoku, Set, or a stock market scenario, there are many, many ways math games can keep kids engaged and interested in the subject. Nothing beats having fun while learning! This is even more important for the crucial activity of practice – and as the saying goes; it is practice that makes perfect!

Thomas Brand is the founder of MathGameReview.com. As the father of two girls who needed his guidance and love to learn math, he helps other parents find effective, fun teaching products that help children master the basics of math. Go to http://mathgamereview.com to sign up for Thomas’ newsletter, which is filled with tips on how you can help your kids to love and master math.